Master how to cook a Thanksgiving turkey with this easy, no-brine method. You'll love this tender, juicy roast turkey recipe topped with homemade turkey gravy, perfect for the holidays!
Servings : 12Servings
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
Cook Time 3 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Resting Time 30 minutesmins
Total Time 3 hourshrs50 minutesmins
Ingredients
For the Compound Butter:
1stick (8 tablespoons or 113 grams)butter, softened
1/2lemon,zested and juiced
2clovesgarlicminced
2tablespoonschopped fresh parsley
salt and fresh ground pepperto taste
For the Turkey:
1(12 pound)Turkey
salt and fresh ground pepperto taste
1whole bulbgarlic,cut in half, horizontally
2yellow onions,quartered
10fresh thyme sprigs
10fresh rosemary sprigs
10fresh parsley sprigs
4cupslow sodium chicken broth
For the Maple Turkey Gravy:
2cupsbroth and drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan
2tablespoonsbutter
2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
2tablespoonsmaple syrup
salt and fresh ground pepperto taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Fit a wire rack inside a large roasting pan and set aside. (Most roasting pans come with a wire rack.)
Make the Compound Butter:
In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Using a fork, mash and stir until well combined. Set aside.
How to Roast a Turkey:
Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels.
Season inside of turkey cavity generously with salt and pepper.
Fill the cavity with halved bulb of garlic (use both halves), quartered onions, and all the sprigs of fresh herbs.
Using your fingers OR the long handle of a wooden spoon, separate the skin from the breast meat, starting at the top of the breast and slide to the right and left, then work your way down.
With your fingers, grab small dollops of the compound butter and rub 2/3 of the butter mixture under the turkey’s skin.
Then, spread the rest of the compound butter around and over the top of the skin.
Tie up the legs with kitchen twine; tuck the wing tips under; transfer turkey to a roasting pan fitted with a rack.
Place a meat thermometer into the bird, beneath the drumstick, deep into the dark meat.
Pour 4 cups of chicken broth inside the roasting pan and transfer turkey to the oven.
Place turkey in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350ºF.
Roast for 40 minutes; remove from oven - close the oven door so you don’t let out the heat – baste the turkey with the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan.
Place a piece of foil over the turkey breast area and put turkey back in the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, basting every 40 minutes. Turkey is done when the internal temperature reads 170ºF at the thickest part of the thigh.
Remove turkey from the oven; transfer it to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Maple Turkey Gravy:
Pour out the pan juices into a heatproof bowl and skim off the fat.
Set the roasting pan over 2 burners on high heat until sizzling.
Add 1 cup of the pan juices and bring to a boil, scraping up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom. Add the liquid back into the bowl with the remaining pan juices and set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in flour for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the pan juices to the saucepan and cook (add water or broth if needed to make 2 cups), whisking, until the gravy is thickened; about 5 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and season with salt and pepper.
Strain the gravy into a gravy boat.
Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.
Notes
Frozen Turkey: Let turkey completely thaw before cooking. Frozen turkey will thaw within a few days in the fridge, approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey.
Roasting Times: For every pound of turkey, you need 13 minutes of cooking time if the turkey is not stuffed. If it’s stuffed, plan 15 minutes of cooking time per pound.
Check for Doneness: Turkey is done when a thermometer registers at 170ºF in the thickest part of the thigh.
Resting: Turkey needs to rest 30 minutes to 1 hour before cutting. The longer it sits, the better, because, it will become more tender and it will be much easier to cut.
Gravy: If gravy is too thick, add more broth, 1 tablespoon at a time. If gravy is too thin, make a slurry with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Add to the hot liquid and whisk and stir until incorporated and the gravy thickens.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: how to roast a turkey, roast turkey recipe, thanksgiving turkey